Method of sinking concrete piles.



T \x \\Mm, mm m; N l f v a a Q BNVENTQH.

PATENTED 11mm, 1906.

R. A. CUMMINGS. METHOD OF SINKING CONCRETE FILES- APPLIOATION FILED AUG.18,1905.

' and State of Pennsylvania, have invented o ing either consumes a considi'areble time or the large dllltfll lll of power necessary to drive friction of the earth thereon "The friction of the earth against it long pile is Speeificati on ol' Letters l atent.

ii ri s" v v cl it the i i/lie l5 Del Eli, PENNSYLVANIA.

Iatentecl June 5., 1986.

Application iced August 18, 1905. Serial in. 274,764.

To 0: whom it ma 0011111011 Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. CU MI GS, a resident of Beaver, in the county oi Beaver new and useful improvement in Methods of Sinking Concrete Piles; and I do hereby declere the following to be it full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to e. method of sink ing concrete or other piles and the like, and also to a method of forming or sinking holes for piles and other purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide a method whereby the piles can he sunk or holes formed with greater expedition or with less power than by methods heretofore practicec.

Piles and. the like are ordinarily sunk by driving them by means of drop or steam hammers known pile-drivers." lilost piles are formed of wood; but recently piles have been formed of concrete and driven in the same manner as wooden piles. When these piles reach a considerable depth, the so greet nsto .l.he drrv-- IllttliG the driving thereof difficult.

else if very heavy blows are used there is don ger of fracturing the pile, this being especinlly true of concrete piles. lit is also the practice to construct concrete and similar oiles in site, this being done by first sinking into the ground a hole of the proper size and depth and then filling the same with concrete and allowing the letter to set. Heretofore these holes have been sunk either by driving into thegrounil an open-ended tube and. i; an excavating or removing the earth from the interior thereof or by driving into the. earth tube closed at its lower end. The first method is quite expensive sni'l now, (except where the water-let method is applied to uicksand due to the eressity of removing the earth from the interior of the tube. The second method ohjectioiuible because of the tube into the ground, this being especially difiic ilt in harder firin ground and with piles or considerable length and large diameter.

such as to require it large amount of power to overcome, so that it frequently happens that thegreeter portion of the power or blow up 1 plied to the tube is consumed in overcoming this friction. As a consequence the driving is ei her very slow or else requires an ainoun t of power which is frequently prohibitive.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method of sinking piles or forming holes for piles or other purposes wherein. the foregoing objections are overcome.

The-invention consists, essentially, in driving oriorcing intothe' earth the pile or a. preparatory pile or other hole-formin iinplement in such it manner as to relieve all except the lower end thereof of the friction of the earth, thus expediting the sinking thereof or at least decreasing the strength. of the heminer-blow necessary to drive the same. This I accomplish by inclosing the pile, prcpnm-- tory pile, or other hole-lorming iinpleine t within a tube or casing which ent'ei cdown so to inrlose the entire pile or implement except its lower working end, thus greatly re- 'ducing the earth friction on said lie or impleinent. This tube or casing Wil. renutin sic tionsry while the pile is being driven at given distance and will then be itself driven down "proximately the same distance, sit or which pile will be again driven. This alternate and independent driving of the pile and tube ill contir is until the pile fully sunk. I this n'iethotl oi driving the blows gif-sen to tnc pile will have to overcome only the friction upon the portion of the pile which projects below the tube. Consequently the pile can be'eitlier much more i'spidlv driven or can be driven. by means of lighter olows.

in the accompanying drawings 1 have ilhistinted in vertical section my improved d, lfigure l showing the (l'ilViLg oi as.

' "Marci/cry pile according l o 2 showing the sinking oi e, Fig. showing the driving o cl implement, lfig. illustr nodij'r iei'l form of implement, itlrh .ng the manner oi 'E' ling the hole with. cor "etc and the willu'lr-(iwnl ol' the -*ile eccording to my method i provide 15 l of the desired size and shape and suitably pointed or o l erwise she-pod lit its lower end so as to pencil-rite tlw enrthwithease. This pile lint-lose in s "ulw. or casing 2 oi suitable length and ol' .':l! 'll :i diameter as not to frictions-Hy beer tlgiillr ll at, Out, I

the pile except so far as may be necessary to.

erably provided with a sharpened driving thiinble or ring 3, which. forms a fairly tight fit around the pile and prevents entrance of the earth between the pile and casings. The pile so inclosed in the tube or casing will be driven into the earth by any suitable means, such as a drop or-steam hanimer, such as ordinarily used for this purpose. I

The pile may be of any suitable material, either concrete, wood, or metal. Its upper end may be suitably shaped to receive the driving-cap 5, which is 'rovided with the ordinary cushioning-bloc 6. Preferably the usual wooden follower 7 Will be employed for receving the impact of the pile-driving hammer 8. The latter will be raised and dropped in the usual manner, thus driving the pile into the earth.

When the follower-block 7 is emplo ed, the pile may be driven down into the cart a suitable distance and until the hammer 8 contests with the upper end of the tube 2. Then the follower can be lifted out and the hammer permitted to strike directly on the upper end I of the tube itself, thus driving the latter down until its lower end ap roaches the lower end of the pile, after whic the follower will again be used and the pile driven down independently of the tube. In this manner the pile and tube will be alternately and independently driven. According to this method. only a comparatively short ortion of the pile extends below the lower en of the tube 2, and consequently the blow of the hammer on the pile need overcome only the friction of the earth on such projecting lower end. As a conse uence the pile can either be driven very rapidly or such light blows employed as will not injure or fracture its upper end. The casing 2 entirely relieves the main ortion of the pile from" earth friction.

If esired, the pile 1 may be only a preparatory implement for formin the hole and after being driven can be with rawn and the hole filled with concrete, which is permitted to set to form the pile. If the pile is a permanent one, it may have its lower end larger than the tube, as shown at 10, in order to facilitate driving.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a modified implement much shorter than the pile 1, but eing driven in substantially the same'way. In this case the hammer 8 of the pile-driver will be made sufficiently small to enter the tube 2. The implement 11 (shown in this ii are) is of suflicient length or provided with s" table wings 12, contacting with the inner cc of the tube 2, so as to be guided and,

kept from turning sidewise. A portion of the implement will be slightly enlarged or otherwise provided with shoulders 13, so as to prevent the same from being driven entirely out at the lower end of the tube' or casing. After this implement has been driven down until its shoulder 13 comes into contact with the ring 3 at the lower end of the tube said tube will be driven down suffi- In Fig. 4 I have shown a slug-shaped pointed weight 14, which can be connected directly to the hammerdine of the lie-driver. It is in effect a modified form 0 pile-driver hammer, being pointed at its lower end, so that when dropped it will form a hole in the earth. With all forms of piles and 'implements described the inclosing tube 2 relieves the same from the greater portion of the earth friction, so that either a lighter .hammer 8 can be employed or else more of the energy of saidhammer will be available for sinking the pile or implement.

If a permanent pile is used, after it has been sunk to the pro or depth the casing 2 can be withdrawn, if esired, leaving the pile in place. When a preparatory pile or one of the implements shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 is used, after the same has been sunk to the required distance it will be withdrawn' and the hole thus formed filled with concrete, as shown in Fig. 5. While the filling progresses the tube 2 is continuously r intermittently withdrawn. When the hole is filled to the desired extent, the concrete is allowed to set, thus forming a pile. The concrete can be filled into the hole in any suitable or desired manner.

What I claim is- 1. The method of sinking piles or holeforming members, which consists in forcing said member into the earth and independently thereof and ogres'sively therewith sinkin a tube which incloses said member and re ieves the same of earth friction.

2. The method of sinking. piles or hole forming members, which consistsin driving said member into theearth and independently thereof and progressively therewith sinking a casing or tube which at its lower end has a close fit on said member.

3. The method of sinkingpilesv or the like, :i a

which consists in driving the same into the earth and independently thereof and progressively therewith sinking an inclosing tube which at its lower end has a close fit with said member, and then withdrawing said tube.

4. The method of sinking and constructv ing concrete piles, which consists in forcing into the earth a pointed member indepeiic i- In testimony whereof I, the said ROBERT eniily thereof and progressively therewith A. OLm iMINGs,.-have hereunto set my hand. siniing a tube which incloses saidmember m I v 2 nd relieves the same of earth friction, with- ROBERT C erewingeeid member, and then filling the Witnesses:

hole with concrete and Withdrawing said G. C. RAYMOND,

tube

ROBERT C. Tor'rmr. 

